


here we are in the future and it's-

by belovedoblivion



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Comfort, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:54:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23369560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/belovedoblivion/pseuds/belovedoblivion
Summary: Takes place after the finale, after Steven leaves Beach City. A deeper look at each of the Crystal Gems, Greg, and Connie, as well as how they cope with Steven carving out his own path, leaving them all feeling a little lost. (Garnet's chapter IS coming! I'm just struggling to write it)
Relationships: Bismuth/Pearl (Steven Universe), Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe
Comments: 21
Kudos: 115





	1. Pearl

It had only been a day since Steven had left Beach City, Pearl still felt uneasy when she walked through the house and didn’t hear Steven’s voice echoing down the stairs from his room or the living room. He had successfully made it to the next state over, taking his time to see all of the sights Delmarva had. As much as the thought of him being gone still brought tears to Pearl’s eyes, she couldn’t help a swell of pride in her heart as well. He was becoming his own person, much like he had helped everyone else to do.

She walked quickly across the length of the house, making her way to the patio. After Steven had given her his ukulele, she had burst into tears and in her state of sorrow had left her bass outside. Fortunately, it hadn’t rained, but Greg had warned her when she had picked the bass that the elements were not kind to most musical instruments. It was silly, but she had been scared of picking it up again. Though it was ridiculous, she had promised Steven she wouldn’t play anything other than his ukulele, and that was a ridiculous promise she intended to keep. 

She picked up the bass gingerly, unsure of what to do with it. Sit down and play it? Put it in her gem, never to gaze upon it again? Maybe she could give it to someone else, like Connie or Greg? 

Shaking her head, she opened the door to the house, for her eyes to fall on the shelf behind the couch. It’s most prominent feature was, of course, Rose’s - Pink’s - broken sword. The sight of it caused Pearl to sigh, fond memories of her pupil creeping into her mind. 

Just like with Steven, Pearl couldn’t have been more proud of the young woman Connie was growing up to be. It was Pearl’s understanding that the highest ranking 'Colleges’ had their eyes on Connie, promising her scholarships and ‘full rides’. While she didn’t have the fullest understanding of these ‘Colleges’, Pearl knew that these were good things. It seemed only yesterday that Connie was begging Pearl to teach her how to sword fight, telling her she wanted to help protect the earth, her home. It had been the moment that Pearl knew Connie was not just some girl infatuated with Steven and his magical life. Connie was a determined girl with the spirit of a true warrior.

And like a bolt of lightning would hit a metal pole, an idea struck her. With a determined smile, she called the items she was looking for from her gem, immediately getting to work.

~~~~~

Pearl turned around at the sound of footsteps to see Connie coming down the stairs from Steven’s room. It was obvious Connie hadn’t planned on anyone being home, because her eyes widened as she saw Pearl.

“Connie! What on earth are you doing here? You startled me!” Connie blushed profusely, tugging at her shirt’s sleeve.

“Oh, hi Pearl. I um… I couldn’t sleep last night, and I was texting Steven and I missed him so much. And I was planning on just going for a walk on the beach but Lion took me here, so I slept here.” Connie rambled. Pearl smiled warmly, gesturing for Connie to come stand with her. Connie obliged, unsure of what Pearl was going to say.

“Did you at least tell your parents where you went?” Pearl asked. Connie nodded, stuffing her hands in her pockets.

“Yes ma’am! But I think they were kind of expecting it. They didn’t argue at all.” Connie chuckled softly, and Pearl put a hand on Connie’s shoulder gently. “Your bass! You put it next to my sword! Are you… not playing it anymore?” Connie inquired. Pearl sighed.

“I told Steven I wouldn’t play anything other than his ukulele. As funny as that sounds, I plan on staying true to my word. It seemed poetic it should rest next to your sword.” Pearl turned to Connie to see her looking down at the floor sadly.

“You know, Connie,” Pearl began, kneeling next to Connie to get her attention. “You’re allowed to be upset about him being gone. Even if you will be seeing him often, you’re allowed to feel whatever you may be feeling.” Pearl reminded her. Tears were quick to come to her young pupil’s eyes, and Pearl quickly enveloped her in a hug.

“I just- he’s been the most consistent, amazing thing in my life. And I love him so much so I promised myself I would stay strong when he told me he wanted to leave. I mean, this would’ve happened eventually when I went off to college, but this was so much more sudden. And now that he gone-”

“You feel like you’re falling apart.” Pearl finished for her. Connie nodded silently, and they pulled away from each other. The both of them sat down on the couch, and Pearl saw that Connie’s face was flushed, tears streaming down her face. She sighed, quick to wipe the tears off of Connie’s face. 

“Thank you, Pearl.” Connie laughed, her blush growing even more as the gem’s motherly instincts began to show.

“I should’ve said this to you sooner, Connie, but I think you were the best thing that could’ve happened to Steven.” Connie’s eyes widened in surprise at Pearl’s words, her eyebrows quickly furrowing in confusion.

“What? Me?” She asked in surprise. Pearl nodded, taking Connie’s hand in hers.

“He had Greg, that was always a given, and I am not decrediting him in the slightest, but you are what I think pushed him to connect to his human side. You showed him what it was like to have a friend. A real, true, friend that he could depend on no matter what. And you might as well have been his common sense. Something tells me that he would’ve fallen apart a lot sooner than he did if it hadn’t been for you. I don’t know if we would’ve gotten him back without you.” She admitted. Connie let out a little sob, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth in embarrassment.

“And I wouldn’t be the person I am today without your guidance and training.” Connie argued. Pearl chuckled, wiping a tear that had appeared in her eye during her little speech. 

“I’m proud of the woman you’ve become, Connie. You are so intelligent, brave, and compassionate. You have a bright future ahead of you, and I feel honoured to be able to watch it happen right in front of me.” This time Pearl was the one to sob, and Connie nearly jumped out of her seat to hug the gem again. Pearl laughed, rubbing Connie’s back gently. 

The sudden buzz of Connie’s phone made them let go once again, and Connie stood up.

“I have to go.” Connie announced. Pearl stood up as well, leading Connie towards the door.

“Connie, please know you are welcome here anytime. Whether to see us or just to simply be here for comfort, the door is always open for you. You don’t have to ask. And as long as your parents are all right with it, you are more than welcome to stay the night. Whatever you need. Okay?” Connie nodded with a smile, tucking her phone into her pocket.

“Okay. I’ll see you soon.” Connie promised. Pearl smiled in response, opening the door for Connie and waving her off.

~~~~~

Pearl had always been infatuated with the sunset’s in Beach City. The way the sky would slowly transition from blue, to purple, to pink, red, orange, and yellow. It was probably one of the first things that made her appreciate the earth in a way that made her want to fight for its independence. Steven had once made her come up to the lighthouse with her to watch the sunset, and eventually, the stars. She looked back on that memory fondly, as she had opened up to Steven quite a bit that night, telling him stories about Rose and the rebellion. She could still remember the stars in his eyes as she dramatically told him the tales of their many battles and woes.

Now, she was watching the sunset again, this time, with his ukulele in her hands. She had been fiddling with it for a good fifteen minutes, but nothing she played seemed to match up with what Steven played for her. It almost felt wrong to be the one playing it, especially without him there to even sing along. With all of the reminiscing she had been doing, the first song Steven had played for her and the other gems was still fresh in her mind.

With the warmth of the memories in her heart, she pulled out her phone, dialling Steven’s number for a video chat. 

“Pearl!” Steven’s voice was tired, but the happiness was clear. He was clearly tired, and for a moment Pearl debated letting him go. “How are you?” He asked.

“Oh you know, we all miss you.” She admitted. Steven’s smile fell a bit, and Pearl was quick to fix her mistake. “But we’re all okay. It’ll be tough to adjust to your not being here, but I’m confident we’ll be okay.” She reassured him. Steven frowned, his shoulders dropping in what Pearl might almost call defeat.

“How’s Connie? She said she couldn’t sleep last night.” He questioned worriedly. Pearl sighed, her lips tightening in a thin line.

“She ended up sleeping here last night. I didn’t even know she was here until she came down the stairs this morning. It’s very hard for her. She loves you, very much, Steven.” Pearl suppressed the urge to raise her eyebrow as Steven’s face blushed profusely. It amazed Pearl that even after nearly four years of Steven and Connie both being smitten, they still blushed at the slightest mention of each other. “She and I had a bit of a heart to heart today, and I told her she can come over anytime she needs.” 

Steven’s tenseness seemed to deflate at Pearl’s comforting words, happy to know Pearl was helping insure that Connie would be okay.

“I think she was too busy being supportive of my decision to worry about how she felt about it all.” He admitted. Pearl scoffed, nearly rolling her eyes.

“I think you and Connie might know each other too well. That is almost exactly what she told me this morning.” Pearl teased. Steven slapped a hand over his face jokingly, groaning in fake annoyment.

“Can we change the subject, please? Did you call for something besides teasing me about my girlfriend?” He asked. Pearl smiled, but obliged, looking to his ukulele.

“Oh, yes! I was going to ask how you play that song on the ukulele. The one you played for Garnet, Amethyst, and I that day we were building the house?” She inquired. Steven blushed, looking away from the screen.

“Really? That song?” He whined. 

“Yes, that song!” Pearl matched his whiny tone easy, showing him that she wouldn’t be backing down. Steven groaned loudly in joking defeat before beginning.

“So, like with your bass, there’s four strings, and frets…”

~~~~~

“Hey P!” Pearl looked up from her - Steven’s - ukulele to see Garnet and Amethyst coming up the hill. “Whatcha up to?” Amethyst asked, sitting down on her left, Garnet on her right.

“Oh, just watching the sunset.” She responded absent-mindedly. Her mind was still very much focused on perfecting the song Steven taught her. He had been quick about, desperate to get to sleep after another long day of driving, but Pearl appreciated it nonetheless.

“It is a beautiful view from up here.” Garnet agreed. 

“I keep thinking I’ll turn around and he’ll be right there behind me. He always loved to watch the sunset from up here.” Amethyst reminisced. Pearl scoffed.

“You talk about him like he’s dead!” Pearl exclaimed. Amethyst’s eyebrows furrowed in annoyment at Pearl’s accusation.

“I am not!” Amethyst shot back, crossing her arms defensively.

“She’s talking about him like he isn’t here. There’s a difference.” Garnet interjected. Pearl and Amethyst both let their anger dissipate, and Amethyst let her arms drop to her sides.

“I’m sorry, Amethyst.” Pearl spoke after a moment of silence. Amethyst chuckled, waving her hand.

“It’s fine, P. Everyone’s dealing in their own ways.” Amethyst shrugged it off. Pearl smiled thankfully before turning her gaze back to the ukulele. “Have you figured out how to play any songs on that thing yet?” 

“Oh yes, but just one. Steven’s first song.” 

“Play it for us?” Garnet asked. “It might do us some good to hear it.” Pearl moved the instrument carefully into the playing position.

“Oh, all right. But only if you two sing along.” Pearl joked. Amethyst and Garnet nodded, and Pearl proceeded to strum the first chord.


	2. Amethyst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amethyst is missing having Steven around the house, but Greg might just have a way of keeping them connected even while Steven is gone.

Amethyst narrowed her eyes in suspicion as she stared down the cardboard box resting on the floor across from her. She had been staring at it for what felt like hours, it’s contents taunting her as she tried to figure out what to do with them. 

Said box held Steven’s gaming consoles, the ones that he had given to her before leaving. As much as she loved the games, it didn’t feel right to play them without Steven beside her, yelling at her as she cheated and the both of them eating foods that would make Pearl upset with their lack of nutrition. They were memories that both made her heart all warm and fuzzy but make her throat feel like it was closing up as tears threatened to spill out of her eyes. 

Stars, did she miss the kid.

Groaning in defeat, she got up from the floor of her room in the temple, looking towards the door out. When she had come in, it had been around eleven o’clock at night, but now she had no idea what time it was. Normally she would’ve gone to sleep straight away, and woken up at eight to start her morning before teaching class at Little Homeschool. But the most recent graduates had told the Crystal Gems they would take over their responsibilities to allow them all to adjust to Steven being gone, and she hadn’t been able to sleep anyways.

She couldn’t help but scoff at her thoughts, reminding herself of what Pearl had said to her a few days previous.

“You talk about him like he’s dead!”

As horrible as she felt to admit it, that’s how Steven being gone felt to her. Like he was dead. Maybe it was her way of coping, she wasn’t sure. But no matter how much she reasoned that she was allowed to feel however she did, it felt like there was always a cloud of guilt following her wherever she went.

She stepped out of the door into the house, to see that it was now the morning. A glance at the microwave saying that it was exactly 7:37 a.m. Once again she groaned in annoyment, but this time it was heavier, as though the time itself was sitting on her shoulders and dragging her down. 

“Amethyst?” Amethyst let out a yelp of surprise, calling her whip from her gem and turning around only to see Greg standing in the doorway to the bathroom. Amethyst sighed in relief, letting her whip disappear. “Couldn’t sleep?” Greg offered.

“Nope. You?” She asked, inwardly cringing at the small talk she was making, a habit she had for whenever she was unsure of what to do, or what would come next.

“I did for a while, but I’m still not used to not sleeping in the van.” He explained, sitting down on the couch. It was only then Amethyst noticed that the couch had been shifted into a bed.

“I thought Steven gave you his room?” She pushed. Greg shrugged his shoulders, looking at the stairs.

“Pearl told me that Connie’s made a habit of sleeping over, and I think I know better than most what must be going through her head right now. Once she’s doing a bit better and doesn’t feel the need to stay here, I’ll move upstairs. Besides, the couch is already more comfortable than the van.” Greg reasoned. Amethyst nodded in understanding.

“Gotcha. Poor kid is so torn up about him leaving.” She conceded. Greg nodded.

“Unfortunately it’s part of growing up. But unlike most childhood sweethearts, nothing could break those two apart. We’re lucky that we’ve got her.” He chuckled. “So, what’s on your mind, Amethyst?” Amethyst looked at him in confusion, unsure of what he was getting at.

“What do you mean?” She asked defensively. Greg put a hand on her shoulder gently, giving her a knowing look.

“I mean you’re being uncharacteristically quiet. And you were making small talk. So, what seems to be troubling you, dude?” He said dude very similarly to how Amethyst typically did when she called him dude, dragging the u on for far longer than one normally would.

Her face fell at his confrontation, as she realized how obvious she had made it that she wasn’t taking Steven’s absence well. While Steven had viewed Pearl and Garnet as mother figures, Amethyst had always been more of an older sister, teasing him wherever she could. She missed their light-hearted conversations, but she also missed their newer, more deep conversations, checking up on each other and talking about things one typically wouldn’t want to talk to a mother figure about.

“Is it weird that I feel like Steven’s… dead?” She asked him uncertainty. Greg raised an eyebrow, but didn’t reprimand her, which she took as a good sign. 

“It feels a lot like when Rose disappeared. Granted, it’s not nearly as bad, seeing as we can always call him, or even go see him. But… Steven is such a vital piece of this town. Now that he’s off on his own adventure, everything just feels off.” Greg admitted. Amethyst nodded in agreement.

“I just wish I had a way to hang out with him, even while he’s on the road, y’know. I miss having that goofball around to hang out with. I just don’t feel the same without him around.” Greg smiled understandingly.

“Well, what things did you normally do with him?” 

Amethyst thought for a moment. There was a crap ton of stuff they would do together. Take trips to the kindergarten. Go tend to their garden with Peridot. Walk on the boardwalk just to get fry bits.

“Well, lots of stuff! But, I think my favourite was when we would play video games. It was something for just him and I to do. But we can’t exactly do that now, can we?” Even though it was a question, it sounded more like she was simply admitting a hard truth to herself. 

“Wait a second, I have an idea!” Greg exclaimed. “We’ll need to go to the store and pick up something, but I think I have a solution to your problem.” He grinned. Amethyst raised an eyebrow skeptically but Greg ignored it, standing up excitedly.

“Okay, what is it?” She asked. Greg walked across the room to the kitchen table, picking up his car keys and spinning them on his finger.

“You up for a rockin’ car ride?”

~~~~~

Amethyst placed the carefully wrapped boxes on the floor, to the side of the door. Her and Greg’s trip had been more than successful, and her excitement to get home and wrap her gift for Steven was immeasurable. She had tried her best to wrap the items herself, but luckily Pearl had come across her and her many failed attempts, excitedly wrapping them for her as Amethyst explained the plan.

But now, standing outside of Steven’s hotel room door, she felt a pit of uncertainty. What if he didn’t like it? She was supposed to be the cool Crystal Gem, what if he decided she wasn’t cool anymore? 

A buzz in her pocket brought her away from her negative thoughts.

Stop doubting yourself. It’s going to be fine. <3

She had to hold back a snicker at the fact that Garnet had put a heart at the end of her text message. She must’ve known Amethyst would be doubting herself. With Garnet’s reassuring words, she knocked on Steven’s door.

“Just a second!” He called out. She breathed out a sigh of relief at his voice. Man, she really, really, missed the kid.

As the door opened, Steven’s face quickly lit up at the sight of Amethyst. 

“Hey, buddy.” She offered. 

“Amethyst!” Steven exclaimed, pulling Amethyst into a hug. Amethyst giggled, wrapping her arms around him tightly. “What are you doing here?” They let go of each other and Amethyst shrugged, trying to hold back a tear threatening to spill.

“I missed you, man!” Steven smiled warmly, a sight Amethyst had learned not to take for granted. “Am I not allowed to miss my favourite meatball?”

“Of course you are.” Steven chuckled. 

“But I uh, I do have a different reason for being here. I wanted to give you something.” She explained. “I was talkin with Greg about how much I missed hanging out with you and being able to talk, so I got you something we can do together even when you’re on the road.” Steven’s eyes shined with excitement, and Amethyst reached to her side to pick up the boxes just outside of Steven’s view.

“What is it?” He asked. Amethyst grinned in anticipation.

“Why don’t we get our butt’s in there and you can open it and find out!” She teased. Steven turned on his heel quicker than Amethyst could blink, running to his bed. Amethyst was quick to run as well, just barely remembering to shut the door behind her.

Steven plopped himself down on the bed near the headboard, allowing Amethyst to vault herself onto the bed and sit across from him. 

“Which one do I open first?” He inquired. Amethyst grinned, pointing to the bigger box. 

“This one!” Steven grinned, putting the smaller box to the bigger box in his lap. In the blink of an eye, he ripped the wrapping paper off to reveal…

“A Nintendo Switch?” His eyes lit up with stars, causing Amethyst to laugh.

“Yeah dude! Now we can play video games together, even when we’re on the road! Greg got me one too, and a copy of the game I got you!” She exclaimed. Steven picked up the smaller present, which he was quick to realize was probably a game for his Switch. Low and behold, he was right, a copy of Animal Crossing now in his hands.

To Amethyst’s surprise, he put them to the side, before jumping to hug her. Amethyst grinned warmly, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

“I know it isn’t a fighting game like we normally play, but this cool looking girl at the store said it’s really calming and fun to play with friends at the end of the day.” She explained. Steven let go of her, shaking his head. 

“It’s perfect, Amethyst. Thank you.” He promised. 

“Well, then what are you waiting for? Open that thing up and let’s get to playing already!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhh! The love I received for the first chapter was so heart-warming! I can't tell you how much your kind words meant! I hope this chapter managed to come out as nicely as the first. As you can guess, Garnet's chapter is up next.But I have no idea what to write for her. :/ If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them! And always, any notes or criticism is much appreciated! Until next time!

**Author's Note:**

> I would love any criticism you may for me! I want to improve my writing skills after all. This is also my first time ever writing for Steven Universe, so if you feel a character would've done something other than what I've written, please let me know! Thanks for taking the time to read!


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